Don't you use meshes with 1 0 0 0 1 to get varied topography?
I just tried changing the "BUCKETS1" to use that, and it did not give nearly as varied elevation
within small embark sites, while the geographical settings of "BUCKETS1" offers several such embarks (some more mineral-poor than others, but the geography and biomes were there, and not hard to find). I've been playing with the settings a bit, and changing elevation or drainage from 1:1:1:1:1:1 seems to be part of making either more hilly, or separating the elevation changes by more embark squares than merely the boime changes. I've changed min savagery and added more supernatural entity types (with no titans, megabeasts, semimegabeasts, vampires, etc., what am I supposed to do if I actually manage to make a smooth-running fortress?
), made the caverns more open, and tinkered with a few other settings, all resulting in a similar world, but changing the mesh frequency and drainage seem to break whatever it is that makes it work well, for the steep edges around the embark squares.
Cavern and temperature changes changed the locations a bit, but similar embarks were in similar locations, between the different world maps, with no main geography settings changed.
[WORLD_GEN]
[TITLE:BUCKETS1]
[SEED:sGY4OCGcU80EESgc0osM]
[HISTORY_SEED:qeCSOOyqeuQ0WeoEag6I]
[NAME_SEED:ggiYIgUU0OEKGwuo2Swo]
[CREATURE_SEED:mQeeYuw2OEGoumosauoS]
[DIM:65:65]
[EMBARK_POINTS:2500]
[END_YEAR:300]
[BEAST_END_YEAR:298:80]
[REVEAL_ALL_HISTORY:1]
[CULL_HISTORICAL_FIGURES:1]
[ELEVATION:50:350:3200:3200]
[RAINFALL:10:67:3200:3200]
[TEMPERATURE:25:75:3200:3200]
[DRAINAGE:34:65:3200:3200]
[VOLCANISM:0:0:0:0]
[SAVAGERY:15:100:2400:2400]
[ELEVATION_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[RAIN_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[DRAINAGE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[TEMPERATURE_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[SAVAGERY_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[VOLCANISM_FREQUENCY:1:1:1:1:1:1]
[MINERAL_SCARCITY:500]
[MEGABEAST_CAP:3]
[SEMIMEGABEAST_CAP:12]
[TITAN_NUMBER:5]
[TITAN_ATTACK_TRIGGER:101:0:0]
[DEMON_NUMBER:10]
[NIGHT_TROLL_NUMBER:4]
[BOGEYMAN_NUMBER:4]
[VAMPIRE_NUMBER:4]
[WEREBEAST_NUMBER:4]
[SECRET_NUMBER:4]
[REGIONAL_INTERACTION_NUMBER:4]
[DISTURBANCE_INTERACTION_NUMBER:4]
[EVIL_CLOUD_NUMBER:4]
[EVIL_RAIN_NUMBER:4]
[GOOD_SQ_COUNTS:2200:4225:4225]
[EVIL_SQ_COUNTS:0:0:0]
[PEAK_NUMBER_MIN:0]
[PARTIAL_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]
[COMPLETE_OCEAN_EDGE_MIN:0]
[VOLCANO_MIN:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:SWAMP:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:DESERT:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:FOREST:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:MOUNTAINS:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:OCEAN:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:GLACIER:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:TUNDRA:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:GRASSLAND:0:0:0]
[REGION_COUNTS:HILLS:0:0:0]
[EROSION_CYCLE_COUNT:20]
[RIVER_MINS:0:0]
[PERIODICALLY_ERODE_EXTREMES:1]
[OROGRAPHIC_PRECIPITATION:1]
[SUBREGION_MAX:2750]
[CAVERN_LAYER_COUNT:3]
[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MIN:20]
[CAVERN_LAYER_OPENNESS_MAX:60]
[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MIN:30]
[CAVERN_LAYER_PASSAGE_DENSITY_MAX:70]
[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MIN:30]
[CAVERN_LAYER_WATER_MAX:30]
[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_1:1]
[HAVE_BOTTOM_LAYER_2:1]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_GROUND:2]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_1:20]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_2:2]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_3:2]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_4:2]
[LEVELS_ABOVE_LAYER_5:3]
[LEVELS_AT_BOTTOM:2]
[CAVE_MIN_SIZE:1]
[CAVE_MAX_SIZE:1]
[MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:0]
[NON_MOUNTAIN_CAVE_MIN:0]
[ALL_CAVES_VISIBLE:1]
[SHOW_EMBARK_TUNNEL:2]
[TOTAL_CIV_NUMBER:6]
[TOTAL_CIV_POPULATION:0]
[SITE_CAP:0]
[PLAYABLE_CIVILIZATION_REQUIRED:1]
[ELEVATION_RANGES:0:0:0]
[RAIN_RANGES:0:0:0]
[DRAINAGE_RANGES:0:0:0]
[SAVAGERY_RANGES:0:0:0]
[VOLCANISM_RANGES:0:0:0]
I've been liking ADF, lately, mostly for the simplified lists, so I tried it out with LNP R18, and ADF raws, but with aquifers added back. I started scanning for elevation changes without cliffs, and suitable biomes. I had one hilly mess embark, and then only on my 2nd site, hit the jackpot:
The slope is over 30Z, and the flat ground 2Z
Base materials:
SOIL : 33422
STONE : 1151330
FEATURE : 34450
MINERAL : 247671
MAGMA : 104771
Liquids:
WATER : 3957 Z: 105..147
MAGMA : 55728 Z: 98..102
Layer materials:
SANDSTONE : 30476 Z: 143..184
SAND_YELLOW : 24806 Z: 146..179
CLAY : 8616 Z: 147..173
DIORITE : 244116 Z: 98..180
GABBRO : 307152 Z: 98..175
MARBLE : 149677 Z: 108..152
QUARTZITE : 102030 Z: 101..158
SLATE : 64047 Z: 121..127
GNEISS : 49594 Z: 102..145
GRANITE : 204238 Z: 98..139
SLADE : 33165 Z: 90..93
>>> TOTAL = 1217917
Ores:
TETRAHEDRITE : 23609 Z: 102..139
NATIVE_SILVER : 11191 Z: 119..139
GALENA : 6454 Z: 102..127
CASSITERITE : 6162 Z: 133..139
NATIVE_GOLD : 3384 Z: 98..118
RAW_ADAMANTINE : 1285 Z: 95..102
NATIVE_PLATINUM : 696 Z: 159..175
NATIVE_COPPER : 599 Z: 171..184
LIMONITE : 387 Z: 171..183
HORN_SILVER : 376 Z: 133..139
>>> TOTAL = 54143
Gems:
AMETHYST : 5183 Z: 98..180
LAPIS LAZULI : 3740 Z: 110..164
QUARTZ_ROSE : 3203 Z: 112..175
SPINEL_RED : 2233 Z: 98..175
MILK QUARTZ : 2046 Z: 110..184
CLEAR GARNET : 1879 Z: 130..151
MOONSTONE : 1868 Z: 102..158
CAT'S EYE : 1592 Z: 119..152
PYRITE : 1548 Z: 122..183
CLEAR ZIRCON : 933 Z: 99..168
BLACK ZIRCON : 909 Z: 98..146
CLEAR TOURMALINE : 731 Z: 98..183
TURQUOISE : 710 Z: 133..139
DIAMOND_FY : 502 Z: 159..175
ALEXANDRITE : 413 Z: 136..152
CRYSTAL_ROCK : 397 Z: 159..179
FIRE OPAL : 338 Z: 140..146
CHRYSOBERYL : 325 Z: 119..133
RUBICELLE : 320 Z: 140..146
AQUAMARINE : 137 Z: 128..132
>>> TOTAL = 29007
Other vein stone:
ORTHOCLASE : 131933 Z: 98..168
OLIVINE : 32504 Z: 119..175
COAL_BITUMINOUS : 1369 Z: 171..184
>>> TOTAL = 165806
Shrubs:
GRASS_TAIL_PIG : 343 Z: 104..124
MUSHROOM_CUP_DIMPLE : 332 Z: 104..123
MUSHROOM_HELMET_PLUMP : 317 Z: 104..124
BERRIES_PRICKLE : 226 Z: 147..157
BUSH_QUARRY : 214 Z: 110..124
GRASS_WHEAT_CAVE : 211 Z: 104..124
BERRIES_STRAW_WILD : 126 Z: 147..162
GRASS_LONGLAND : 125 Z: 147..168
ROOT_HIDE : 115 Z: 147..149
WEED_BLADE : 56 Z: 147..167
WEED_RAT : 19 Z: 148
REED_ROPE : 14 Z: 147..148
BERRIES_FISHER : 7 Z: 148
>>> TOTAL = 2105
Wood in trees:
FUNGIWOOD : 358 Z: 110..124
TOWER_CAP : 324 Z: 110..124
GOBLIN_CAP : 188 Z: 104..114
BLACK_CAP : 182 Z: 104..114
TUNNEL_TUBE : 172 Z: 104..114
MAPLE : 133 Z: 147..162
ALDER : 131 Z: 147..157
CHESTNUT : 120 Z: 147..148
BIRCH : 115 Z: 147..159
ASH : 113 Z: 147..154
OAK : 88 Z: 147..152
NETHER_CAP : 69 Z: 104..107
BLOOD_THORN : 68 Z: 104..107
SPORE_TREE : 67 Z: 104..107
WILLOW : 57 Z: 147..148
>>> TOTAL = 2185
Has aquifer : 3525 Z: 143..153
By the looks of the site finder, there are quite a few more like it, except with low savagery, though the vanilla variations on, "BUCKETS1" also seem to have many such sites.
I know, with modded raws of modded raws, it might be impossible to replicate exactly, but thanks again, vjek! I was pulling my hair out, and not even coming close.